


Now you want me, but what if your heart's a liar?

by SweetAshori



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dr. STONE Manga Spoilers, F/M, First Time, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, Making Out, Pining, Romance, Sex, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:41:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29496693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetAshori/pseuds/SweetAshori
Summary: “Senku has the right idea... a brain in love is nothing but trouble.”
Relationships: Asagiri Gen & Kohaku, Asagiri Gen/Kohaku
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. STONE. I have a lot of ideas for fanfiction, though.
> 
> Authoress' Note: I know I should be working on my next chapter of Hear Me Now – I will get that out soon enough, with a long note of why it's been delayed so hard – but this idea came randomly to my head, so I really wanted to write it. Please enjoy!
> 
> The title is taken from the song Wildfire by Marianas Trench. I just really like this line a lot, which is why I wanted to use it for my title. The title itself doesn't have much to do with the fic itself, but I think the song overall can fit the vibe of the fic. Please give it a listen sometime!

Kohaku has known of fear, certainly. Being a warrior had placed her in the most precarious of situations, especially over the past couple of years since she had become a fighter for the Kingdom of Science. But she had learned there were different forms of fear over those years as well. Usually her experience with fear had been towards life-threatening situations. Whether it was one she found herself in or that of someone closest to her, it was a very paralyzing fear. She also knew of fear about things out of her control. At one point in her life, when she was a child, she feared the thunder and lightning that would occasionally happen over her village, afraid of its loud noises and flashes. She outgrew this fear as she grew up, as most people she's known have done, but it was one level she remembered.

But now she felt a different kind of fear: the fear of rejection. All caused by these intensifying feelings settling in her chest as she woke up from another powerful dream, her fingers clawing at the scratchy blanket draped over her frame. One hand released the blanket as the other brushed back the nightly sweat and loose bangs from her face, biting slightly on her bottom lip as she seethed, feeling pain in the caught breath in her throat.

“Damn it... how many more nights of this will I take before I finally break?” she muttered softly to herself, her voice a whisper that she was certain no one else in her hold of bunk mates would hear.

Throwing the blanket off of her and to the foot of her bed, Kohaku swung her legs over the ledge of her third bed, pushing herself off and landing upon the floor. She was grateful for not having her sandals on at this time, knowing that the sound of the stone would certainly wake someone up, but bare foot as she was left little sound in her wake. Grabbing them from beside the door and sliding them on, she carefully opened the door and stepped out of the room, the middle of three sections of holds for the slumbering members of the Perseus crew.

She closed it just as carefully, sighing as her fingers lingered on the handle before letting it go, making her way up towards the top decks of the ship, figuring some of the ocean breeze might just be enough to try and clear her head. It wasn't a permanent solution, of course, but anything temporary would work for now. She just didn't want to see the images of her dream any more tonight.

_Dark cerulean eyes that held mysterious light, watching her intently. One hand upon her upper arm, a voice asking if she was alright. Her skin burned by his touch; he never touched her before. Why did she like the burn so much? No... please don't pull it away, she wanted to say, but the words stuck in her throat. She could only nod. And he smiled._

But as her feet led her above deck and the sea spray hit her face, all she kept seeing was those images of her dreams. Not just that, but all of the memories she had built up, all that were causing her the fear and pain that was bubbling uncontrolled in her chest. Hands that clenched the blanket now reached for one section of the railing that kept her from jumping off the ship, tightly wrapping around it as she seethed again.

_Long fingers delicately brushing back her blonde bangs from her face, tucking them back with a young, white flower. A sweet grin offset by a devilish scar. Watching as lips moved and words spilled out. He pulled away, but she didn't want him to. She wanted to keep feeling the whispers of his breath upon her face. Wanted to know something more about those lips that spoke her name. “Kohaku-chan, you're so cute.”_

“Senku has the right idea... a brain in love is nothing but trouble.”

She muttered those words with both disdain and regret, as she released part of the secret she had been struggling to hold back for the longest time to the waves and winds. Yes, that is what the mighty Kohaku had been struggling with: she had realized, quite terribly, that she had truly started to fall in love. Something she had wrote off a long time ago as an impossibility.

Not because she couldn't fall in love, but rather because she knew it'd be hard to find someone to love her. After all, she was a fighter, quick to anger and stronger than most men in her village. She wasn't like her sister Ruri or the other young ladies in her village; she wasn't this sugary sweet and demure type that men found to be the most attractive. Even with the population of the world growing, thanks to breaking more people from the stone statues they had been trapped in over thousands of years, no man had dared to get close to her like that. Sure, there was some lecherous attempts by perverts like Ginro, but nothing significant that was a sign of a more intimate connection. And so, she was sure that she would never find someone to love and love her in return, and as such, she wouldn't bother falling in love herself.

But now here she was. She was in love, but she was sure that the one she loved would not love her in return. And that's where she began to develop her fear. She knew that, logically, the best thing to do would be to confess. After all, holding it back was only causing her distress. If she shared it, it'd be out in the open and no longer could torture her like it did. It would be like ripping off a bandage on a wound: painful at first, but then the relief would come and it'd be alright. However, while sharing her feelings sounded so easy, she knew that the relief would never come. That coming from the possibility of rejection. There really was no way that she could avoid being rejected. She knew that.

Because there was one thing she was sure she knew about Gen Asagiri: he couldn't love her in the same way that she loved him.

He was an emotional manipulator, a mentalist, someone that used all aspects of the human psyche to play and gain things that were needed, and usually always for some personal benefit. It was something that made him a great ally of the Kingdom of Science. But for him to love someone like what she was feeling now? No... she knew that that was impossible. He couldn't ever love someone so unselfishly like how she could. She just knew it from the way he had always placed up those walls to keep anyone else from cracking through the entirety of his act. To drop those to let someone in... she couldn't imagine that would ever happen.

And that's why she continued to keep her feelings locked inside, only letting it come forth whenever she was alone or within the confines of her dreams. Her grip tightened upon the banister as a harsh breeze moved past her, sending a chill over her arms in its wake. Her dreams were the worst. She wished she could control them and keep them from showing all of these sickening images as she tried to sleep, but she knew that she couldn't do such a thing. She was pretty sure no one could, not even a great mind like Senku.

_Her hand wrapped in those long fingers, holding the appendage loosely. He's worried about an injury she had just sustained. There was blood seeping from a cut. She was more concerned about him than she was for herself, seeing the dirt marred on his face. He ripped a piece of cloth off from the hem of his coat, wrapping it around the wound. He held her hand tighter, pulling her along with him. She knew it was to keep pressure on the wound, but she wished it was something else. She tried to tell him that she was okay, but he wouldn't listen. And she liked that he didn't._

She bit her bottom lip again. So much for the fresh air helping to remove the images from her head. She was still seeing them, feeling them, desiring them. Her heart raced in her chest, and she had to bring one hand up to push a closed fist against it, hoping the pressure would make it slow down. No such luck.

_“Kohaku-chan.” He was so close. Too close. Her bottom lip quivered as he leaned in, able to smell the sticky cola he loved to drink on his breath. Her eyes fluttered closed, fingertips that had grabbed at his yukata tightening as she tried to hold onto him. She could almost feel those manipulative lips upon her own. Only a few centimeters of distance between them now. She wanted so much to close that gap._

“Damn it,” she cursed again.

She knew she was breaking. She couldn't keep this up. But she knew she had to. There was still too much to do. They had a worldwide road map ahead of them to establish in order to break all of the rest of humanity from the stone. She couldn't distract everyone with her feelings. She knew that, once word got out that she was in love, everyone would be pestering her about who it was, including Gen. And if he were able to figure out her crush was him, because she knew that he would be able to figure it out, no matter how cryptic she was about it... She couldn't be responsible for destroying the rapport the crew had right now, all focused on the work they needed to do as they stuck to their course.

_“Gen, I--”_

“Hmm? Kohaku-chan, what has you up this late?”

She swore she could've jumped out of her skin, but she kept herself glued to the ground, head spinning around too quickly to see the object of her affections and torture standing a few feet from her, arms tucked into the sleeves of his overcoat as he usually did, staring at her with a quirked brow and a curious grin. She was grateful that the night masked the pink in her cheeks as she felt her entire body warm. “G-gen, you startled me!” she exclaimed, clearing her throat and lowering her voice after she realized how loud she was, “I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get some fresh air for a bit. W-what about you? You're up pretty late too.”

“Ah, the same. I had tried to sleep, but Ginro and Chrome are both terribly loud snorers,” he explained, stepping a bit closer to her side and leaning over the railing.

The feet turned to inches, and Kohaku swallowed the lump in her throat. Of all times for him to show up, it had to be while she was struggling to keep herself in check. When did she get Senku's bad luck!? She turned her attention away from him, hoping they would both just keep their eyes upon the ocean waves. Yes, that was the best. Eyes on the water, hands on the railing. And if he did the same thing, he wouldn't see how twisted her face was becoming, how heated she was getting, wouldn't be able to pick up on all of the distress she was feeling.

“Have you been feeling alright?”

Fingers clenched, keeping her from looking at him out of habit. “What do you mean?”

“You've seen off lately. Not your typical wild self.”

She chuckled softly. “Well, we've been through a lot lately.”

He nodded, she could sense it. “Yes, this is true. But it seems like something more has been on your mind.”

_She was acutely aware of where his hands were: one at her hip, the other at her right shoulder. They were holding her, pushing her, keeping her pinned to the ground. He was between her legs, pressing against her. Her chest was heaving, eyes unable to pull them away from the sight of him above her. He flashed his canines at her, like a carnivore ready to devour its prey._

“I guess so...” she replied cautiously, knowing that he could easily sense a total lie.

_The hand at her right shoulder moved up her throat, fingers tracing the porcelain skin as he moved upward to cup her face. She shivered heavily, and he chuckled. “Kohaku-chan,” he said her name with the most seductive of inflections. She liked it. Too much. She wanted to hear it again. Say it again, she wanted to beg, but she couldn't. She didn't have a chance to say it._

He smirked at her, she knew that. He always did that when he learned he was right. As if to show some visible sign of pride in knowing he had done right. She used to hate that smirk, how cocky he'd be with it, but not so much anymore. Sure, it could still get annoying at times, but nowadays she found it to be mostly endearing.

“Is there something I can do to help?” he asked innocently, unknowingly.

She wanted to scoff, but she kept it to herself. Oh boy, was that a loaded question he just asked. Perhaps too loaded.

_She was gasping for air as those demon fingers worked their way up her sides, burrowing under cloth to reach forbidden areas of her body. She twisted, arched, leaned into it, becoming addicted to the burning invisible marks he was leaving over her, her fingers digging into his yukata as she was losing all control. He felt his sinful lips against her throat, branding her with passionate fire._

“I don't... I...” she stammered, unsure what her answer should be. She couldn't lie, but couldn't tell the truth either.

_“Gen, I--”_

“Kohaku-chan?” he questioned, noticing the shake to her form, attention turned towards her when he heard the indecision in her voice.

“I...” she could feel that lump getting bigger in her throat again, and she tried to swallow it, trying to shake the images of her dreams from her head.

_“Gen, I--”_

His hand touched her left shoulder and she snapped into action, turning around too fast to the touch, facing him. Seeing those dark eyes of his peering down at her, a light of concern flickering upon the irises. Her entire body was quivering, hands that had released the railing in her twist now hovering at her sides in half-clenched fists, lips fallen agape. She was at her breaking point right now, she knew it. All of those images of her dreams, of her memories, of her self-manipulation... they were becoming too much. One tear flowed down her cheek before she could stop it.

Gen's eyes went wide as he watched her, looking at him with such an odd expression he had never seen her hold. It actually scared him, seeing her like this. Like she was cracking, ripping at the seams over something that was truly disturbing her mind. “Kohaku-chan, what's wrong?” he said with deep concern, bringing a hand up to her face to brush away that lone tear that rolled down her cheek.

The brush of his thumb sent a jolt through her body. She had to act, had to put up a wall to push him back so she didn't make a terrible mistake. She couldn't break now; she had to keep her secret to herself and herself alone. If she were to give in, to tell him now, to be rejected now... no, she couldn't handle it. No, she had to be strong. Be the warrior she was. Be the beast she was.

She brought her arms up to push at his wrists, pushing his hands away from her with a kind amount of force. “Ah, I'm sorry, Gen! I'm just really tired from everything. I mean... being petrified, worrying about Ginro dying, all of this discussion about going to the Moon and the Why-Man,” she rambled, “I haven't had much chance to get much sleep with everything either, so I think it's just all getting to me. I didn't realize how bad I was getting until just now.”

She flashed him a wide smile, “I think I'll be okay. Thank you for being so concerned about me, though.”

They both knew better to believe what she was saying and showing. She was lying. Horribly. But it was her only defense. She wished and prayed that it would be enough to send him away for now. Allowing her to wallow again in the well of her painful secret all alone. He backed away an inch to give her more space. “Are you sure?” he pressed, wanting to give her assurance that she could share whatever truth it was she was hiding.

She didn't give in. “Yeah, I'm sure,” she replied, lowering her head to stare at the ocean again, not wanting to face those precious orbs that had burned her mind.

Her eyes were watering, despite her attempts to try and hide them behind her bangs. Something was paining her, but she wouldn't release it. Gen wanted to push it, force it out of her, but he also knew better. Pushing her could lead to her lashing out, and he knew that being on the receiving end of one of her fits would not be helpful. Despite him not wanting to do so, he had to let this go. For now, at least. He smirked at her, letting out a light laugh. “Alright, if you say so. But if you ever change your mind, I have an open ear for you,” he offered to her, as if to reassure her to come to him whenever she was ready.

She nodded, and he smiled. “Get some rest, Kohaku-chan. I'll see you in the morning,” he bid her a well-wishing farewell, turning away and beginning his walk back towards the sleeping holds.

As he took his steps, Kohaku could feel the fake smile of hers melt away. She got what she wanted with her lie, but the void remained. The wind chilled her bones, but so did the emptiness that remained on her skin from where he had touched her. There were marks again on her shoulder and cheek, and they burned. A wonderful, powerful, delicious burn. She could get addicted to this type of burn. She was addicted.

Crystal blue eyes landed upon his back, watching his retreat. There was a desire in her to chase after him. To stop him. To grab him. To hold him. To share, to kiss, to love. But she was holding back. She had to. This wasn't the time. This wasn't the place. There was no reason. She couldn't do this. She would just be rejected, she would just be hurt further. He doesn't love her. He can't love her. She can't be loved like that. Why say the words when it would ultimately mean nothing?

_Her ear was pressed against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat. It was a beautiful sound. She loved this sound. She craved this sound. Her body curled up closer, feeling the warmth of his body surrounding her. His arms tightened around her, and she felt the vibrations of his laughter rumbling through his chest. “You're clingy tonight, Kohaku-chan.”_

Bottom lip quivered, another tear fell down her cheek. Fingers dug into the ripped sections of her dress. She couldn't do this. She couldn't run to him. She couldn't. She can't. No. No, no she can't. She had to let him walk away. She had to stay where she was. She had to. She couldn't--

_She pulled away to look up at him, bringing one hand between them in order to brush the white wisps of his split-monochrome locks away from his face, allowing her to fully see those deep jeweled irises that had her ensnared. Swollen lips formed a soft smile. “Gen, I--”_

All restraint jumped over the railing, the loud sounds of her stone sandals hitting the wooden deck as she closed the distance between them, her arms wrapping around his torso as her face buried itself in his back, the force of her grasp causing Gen to almost fall forward, luckily able to steady himself to keep them both from collapsing. His cheeks turned red, eyes wide open, his hands splayed open in the air as he tried to look over his shoulder at her, entirely confused by this sudden attack. “Ko-ko-kohaku-chan, what are you doing!?” he stammered despite his demand for an answer.

“Gen, I love you.”

Those muffled words came out crystal clear, and all seemingly went quiet and still. The waves still hit the ship, the wind still blew, but it was almost like they were non-existent as they stood where they were. Kohaku felt a weird sense of relief once the words left her lips, but it lasted only a few seconds before it was replaced with the growing sense of dread and regret. She couldn't get herself to pull away from him, however, keeping her face buried into his overcoat as her fingers desperately dug into the front of his yukata.

She swore she could feel his heartbeat racing against one set of fingers. It wouldn't be a surprise if that was true. It matched hers perfectly, though. He probably could feel hers, too.

Time was a construct they were unable to figure out, in terms of how long they stood in this stilled silence. But it had to be broken somehow. He had to be the one to break it, he knew that. He made no motion to touch or force her away on his own. Instead, he took in a sharp breath to steady his racing mind. “Kohaku-chan... will you let go of me?” he softly requested, voice only an octave above a whisper.

She was scared to let him go. What if he walked away from her? But worst, what if he wanted to face her? But she couldn't keep a hold on him forever. With shaking arms, she slid back, stepping back an inch. There was a metal wall close behind her she almost leaned against, but kept her distance from it as well. Once free from her gasp, he turned around to face her, the surprise etched into his expression. She couldn't see it entirely, though, keeping her head down. She didn't want him to see how god damn busted she was now. Didn't want him to see how hard she was trying to keep back her every emotion.

“... When?” he questioned, wanting to understand what led up to those powerful words.

Fists clenched so tight, Kohaku was afraid she was going to cut her palms. “That's a good question... at least a year? I think it might had been longer than that, though,” she replied honestly, her first honest answer for the night.

He blinked, shocked by that answer. How could she have hid this for so long!? Perhaps she was a better liar than he was... but that wasn't a road he was going to go down right now. He took in another deep breath. “How did it start?” he continued his interrogation.

“I don't know... Everything we've ever done together, it's always been as friends. There hasn't been anything that should've became something more in my head,” she spoke honestly again, trying to resist the urge to bite her bottom lip.

Her head tilted upward a centimeter, trying to will herself to look at him, but the fear kept her from doing so. She couldn't see him right now. Although, with how blurred her vision was becoming, she was certain that she couldn't see him clearly anyway.

“But... something changed along the way.”

Her hands shook at her side. “When you would look at me sometimes with a playful smile, I'd feel my heart starting to race.”

She shivered when a breeze brushed past, chilling her arms again. “When you would casually touch my shoulder, I'd find myself missing it when your fingers pulled away.”

The tears she tried to hold back started to fall, only three at first. “That day when we were trying to gather supplies, where I cut my hand, you held my hand to keep pressure on my wound. But I liked so much that you were holding me, taking me with you, worrying about me.”

Her breath caught hard in her throat as she tried to keep her sobs back, trying to keep some sort of control. “I kept finding myself wanting to hear you say my name more and more. To hear you call me cute. To just hear you speaking to me, to have you near me.”

It was Gen's turn to shake, the mentalist at a loss for words as she continued to bare her soul. “I don't know when or how it changed, but something did... something turned and twisted those friendly things into something else, and I realized that I was falling in love with you. And I keep thinking about those times, and having all of these sweet dreams, and every day I found myself just falling harder and harder.”

She brought her hands up to wipe her cheeks of the tears. She wanted to tell herself to stop. Baring her feelings like this was just causing her more pain. It was just postponing the obvious and incoming rejection. He was just being polite, listening to her like this. She just should shut up and allow him to finally speak those words so she could wallow in the failure she was bringing herself.

“It was so hard keeping it inside, but I had to. You've heard Senku before, I'm sure. About how a brain filled with love is nothing but trouble. I couldn't cause you trouble. I couldn't cause anyone trouble. And we know there would be nothing but trouble. We have so much we need to do. There's no time for a relationship. But not just that... I know that... that you'd never love me back.”

“Wh-what makes you say that?” he stammered at first, not just out of surprise about that admission, but a small rise of anger that came along with it.

She hid her face behind the backs of her hands, trying to make sure as she lifted her head further he couldn't see her expressions. Nor did she want to see his. “You're a mentalist. You have to keep up all of these walls around you to prevent anyone from seeing through your act. How could you ever let those down to love someone? And... What use would you have in loving me? What merits would it bring you? You've said it yourself; you do everything for your own selfish desires... love isn't selfish. So how could you ever love me the same?”

His hands now clenched in fists as she laid out her answer, her assumptions. The anger was rising, a rarity for him, but it wasn't actually at her. She wasn't entirely wrong. But she wasn't entirely right either. Her hands fell from her face a little bit as she tried to catch her breath, the sobs causing bubbles in her chest. She was done. All she was waiting for was the rejection now.

“Is that really what you believe?” The tone of her voice made her flinch, her arms lowering a little bit further as she fought back the urge to entirely snap up her head.

“What--” she started to ask him another question of her own, only to have the words stuck to her tongue.

Harsh force pushed her body against the metal wall, tight grasps around her wrists pulled her back, landing on either side of her head. Her eyes shut upon the impact, but remained shut as she felt the burning pressure of his lips against her own. She moaned, shocked by his bold move, but she was also filled with that heat she kept dreaming of. That addictive wildfire that she kept craving from his every touch, his every look, his ever word. She kissed him back with equal fervor, wanting to fight only enough to get him to free her wrists. He shifted to her hands instead, still keeping her pinned between him and the metal wall, and she grasped onto them as if they were her lifeline.

Another round of tears fell down her face as she tried to convince herself that this wasn't a dream. This was real. Gen Asagiri was holding her, pinning her, passionately kissing her. It was everything she had been wanting for so long. She was on fire, and she wanted to stay in this fire. She moaned again as she arched into him, wanting to let him know every ounce of her cravings and begging that he didn't stop. She didn't want to wake up if this were a dream, and so she wanted as much as she could from it before she opened up her eyes again.

When the slew of heavy, emotion-filled, open-mouth kisses finally came to an end, it came with a whimper from her lips, followed by vision slowly changing from black to light, her body still shaking and being able to feel it so intensely with Gen's body still against her. He didn't let go of her hands, only loosening the grip a fraction, wanting to keep her locked where she was.

“You have the wrong idea about me, Kohaku-chan. When I love, I love hard. Because I am a mentalist. Because I have to keep up these walls. So for someone to break through them, it'd have to be someone pretty damn special,” he told her firmly, his brows furrowed as the initial anger faltered within him, his tone making sure she was keeping her gaze upon him and paying him acute attention, “When I love, it is selfish. Because I'm possessive. I want her and only her. And she'll know it. She'll know that she's mine, but not only that, she'll know that I'm hers. I love too intensely. I claim, and I burn.”

Her flushed cheeks turned another shade darker as she learned of her real mistake, before biting softly at her swollen lip, eyes turning to her left in order to gain some release from the pressure of his gaze upon her. But he wouldn't allow her that release, at least not yet. “Kohaku-chan, look at me.”

She did as told, although she tried to blur her vision to focus on something upon his face versus meeting his gaze again. He knew that trick as well, and that caused his grip on her hands to tighten again. _“Look at me, Kohaku-chan,”_ he demanded again, more insistently this time.

Those captivating, fiery irises caught her once again. “Do you really believe those assumptions you made of me?”

She swallowed, shaking her head. “No... I don't believe them. Not anymore.”

He smirked devilishly at her, white canines flashing. “Good. Because that would make this a real problem if you did.”

She blinked, wet tears that stuck to her lashes falling off, but had no chance to ask him about his words before his lips assaulted hers once again, this time fueled not heavily by anger but by a more intimate sort of passion. The initial pressure caused her to moan and flinch, with a second of thought turned to wondering if she had hurt him with how her hands were now let free in response, but the thought was fleeting as she took advantage of her freedom and brought her arms tightly around his upper torso, almost trying to keep him pulled towards her. The freedom worked for him just as well, deft hands at her hip and waist, and she shivered as she felt the heat through her dress.

The shiver turned to an intense and surprised moan as he upped the heat, coaxing her mouth open with a small nip at her bottom lip, sliding his tongue inside to join hers in a sinful dance. Every part of her was turning red with the fire, trying to reflect every single bit of the passion and desire he was sharing with her back at him. She felt both powerful and powerless at the same time, using her strength to keep him there but being unable to fight and control as she usually would. She didn't think she'd ever like being so submissive to another person, but like this... oh, she was enjoying herself way too much.

If only she knew how much he was enjoying himself as well. Clinging to every moan of hers, enjoying how her fingers buried themselves into his coat, the heat of her body writhing against his, sending shocking impulses throughout his entire being. Just as addicted as she was becoming to the fire of his touches, he was becoming addicted to hers. Something he didn't fully count on, based on how he started their lewd act.

The first round was coming from a more frenzied outburst, coming from both anger and curiosity. He wanted to, so badly, prove her assumptions of him to be incorrect, but he also knew he was being swept up in the same ways she was. Hearing her words, her truth, her sincerity and desire... he wanted to give in to her. She was breaking, cracked, she needed something that only he could give her. And so, he did, but in return, he was also becoming cracked. The walls he had kept up were wearing down, the swirls of metaphoric concrete mixing with his own version of the memories she shared and of those she didn't. Of her smiles and beautiful eyes, of her caring nature and wild actions, of how passionately and honestly she loved those around her. But more importantly, how she passionately and honestly loved him.

One hand lowered, digging fingertips into the bare skin of her thigh, leaving another invisible mark on her skin as he pressed into her further. She gasped at the touch, a whispered cry of his name against his lips in the free moment she had before she was captured again. Oh yes, Gen was becoming addicted to her, he couldn't deny that. The final wall was starting to break down, he saw it. There were cracks, but it still stood. For now.

He pulled back from her for a second time after several minutes of heat, and she whimpered again, unhappy with how things had come to an end again, staring at him through watery and half-lidded eyes. The way she panted and how the moonlight and shadows played with her hot face... Gen had to swallow a lump in his throat.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, and Kohaku felt her heart stop for a moment hearing the word come from his strained voice.

“Gen...” she whispered in kind, every part of her aching and shaking, unsure what the next move should be.

They knew that they had to wrap this up soon. They've been lucky so far that no one else has stirred and caught them, given how indecent they were acting in public. But that luck will not last forever. Soon some of the early risers will make their way up from the sleeping holds, and the guard would shift from the night to the dawn crew. They couldn't keep this up, no matter how much they wanted to.

“You were correct on one thing, Kohaku-chan,” he finally spoke the words he wanted to keep inside, “That right now, a relationship would be nothing but trouble. Not until we finally revive everyone.”

Despite the pain forming in her chest, she nodded her head in agreement, her arms falling from around his shoulders to his chest, still trying to cling to the cloth for a few moments longer. “I know,” she acknowledged, “I know that. That's why I wanted to--”

“No. Don't regret telling me this. Not once, not ever,” he demanded, and her crystal eyes widened at the tone he was using with her.

He smiled, that devilish smile she adored, bringing a hand to her chin, holding it within a gentle grasp. She tried to decipher the glint in his eyes. There was his usual playful intentions, mixed with the lustful ones brought on by their intense make out session, but there was something else there that she was too surprised to see. Something, she dared to wonder, akin to the same flame she's been holding onto in secret for so long. Could it be that he was...?

He chuckled lowly, leaning forward to kiss the outer shell of her left ear. “You've been so good at holding back, that I think you can hold back for a little while more,” his breath fanned against the side of her face and she gulped and shuddered in reaction, “Once this is over with, I'll say those words you want me to say. For now, you still have one more wall to try and crack. But it's you, Kohaku-chan; I'm know you can do it.”

Tears started to form in her eyes as she listened, the pain in her chest fluttering away as if it were the wings of birds, leaving her with something she didn't have at the start of this tryst: hope. She nodded, smiling as she let out a choked laugh, and Gen glanced at her sideways to see that graceful turn of her lips. He released her chin, allowing her head to fall to the other side an inch, and his grin expanded as an interesting thought floated past his head.

Lips trailed hot kisses down the column of her throat, leaving those invisible marks on her skin as she whimpered in the heat of it all, fingers desperately holding onto his yukata as her head fell a little further, allowing him the best access to one of her most sensitive spots. The hand that was at her chin snaked its way behind her head, fingers making quick work at the knot of her thin ribbon collar, the fabric falling between them. Kohaku couldn't figure out why he had done such a thing, but she had no chance to form a guess before she felt his teeth nip at her skin. She moaned too loudly for what she should have, both from the surprise of the move and in the weird, pleasurable feeling forming low in her stomach, body arching into his again as he sucked on the wound he created.

After several seconds, he pulled back, admiring the work he had done to her, licking his lips as he turned his fervor glance towards her again. “Gen...” she breathlessly whispered as she brought one hand to her throat, feeling where he had bit.

She knew he had left a mark. A purposeful mark. She hoped it was small enough to be covered by her ribbon collar as to not draw suspicion and questions about the midnight rendezvous, but she was sure it was. He surely made sure of that. He wouldn't have done it so carelessly, after all.

Lips collided for one final, long kiss, parting ways almost too unceremoniously compared to the other two times, but there was no sadness within it. “I hope you understand what this mark means, Kohaku-chan. Even after it fades,” he left her with those cryptic words as he finally removed himself from her, her hands falling to her sides as her back felt reprieve from the metal she stuck to, the ribbon that was held between them now falling to her feet.

And with that, he walked away, hands folded into the sleeves of his overcoat, acting as though what had just transpired never happened. But that was just what they wanted. From this point on, they had to act as though what happened was nothing. Had to hold it all back, for the sake of themselves, the crew, and the mission. Kohaku knelt down briefly to grab the discarded ribbon, straightening out as she went to retie it around her neck, watching as he disappeared from her view as he went downstairs back towards the sleeping holds, giving it time before she would follow suit.

Her fingers brushed against the area where she swore she could still feel the tantalizing heat of his bite as tongue darted out to lick her swollen lips, hand grasping at the top of her bodice above her heart, the race it was running finally coming down to its normal resting beats. She walked towards the banister, leaning over it with crossed arms as he had done before, watching the waves with a renewed sense. The cold wind didn't bother her as it had done before, her body still too warm from how long he had been against her. The images that filled her head no longer tortured her, but instead filled her with a bright and delightful happiness, and she smiled to herself as she casually touched the area of the mark once again.

“Well... I should get to sleep,” she muttered aloud through a sweet smile, “We got a lot of work to still do~”


	2. Chapter 2

Kohaku found herself, once again, dealing with high, mind-breaking levels of discontent. Much had happened over the past few weeks that had given her much pause and frustration, and while the danger was furthest from over, this was a weird moment in time that allowed her to think back upon some things that had bothered her the most.

She groaned as she untangled herself from her blanket and Suika's little limbs, moving towards the opening of the makeshift tent to get a better reprieve of fresh air and stepping outside of it, glad that now she could no longer hear Chelsea's goofy snores as loudly as she did inside. A small chill went over her arms from the desert air, but she didn't shiver, finding the air to be overall pleasant. Blue eyes scanned over the camp, seeing that everyone else had already turned in for the night, although she could tell that Hyoga and Tsukasa were only lightly dozing, staying alert in case of attacks or stirring.

Finally her eyes landed upon the object that was sparking her discontent, the man not showing signs that he was aware of her staring, sleeping a bit apart from everyone else camped outside and wrapped in a thin blanket: Gen Asagiri, the resident mentalist and the one she had, a few weeks prior, admitted to being in love with.

One scratch-covered hand reached for her throat, resting against the place where he had left a mark upon her skin that night of her confession, the physical signs of it long since gone but the burning feeling of it still remained. That night she was set ablaze with a flurry of emotions caused by her cracked desires to confess, and nearly earning his own confession in return. Since that night, they had kept the details of their passionate tryst to themselves, appearing on the surface to have nothing different between them. Just friends and comrades, as they wanted it to be, with too much at risk for them to attempt a more intimate relationship. To that extent, they tried to not even have too long of private conversation, fearing what that could imply in case someone may have overheard or seen their public exchange. As difficult as that is to do, the huntress told herself, as the desire to be with him has become a bit harder to bear since that night, leaving her in a drought of hard-to-control need.

It was within those feelings that also brought Kohaku the discontent. Because of her love for him, it's why she was mad at him for the actions he had taken upon the United States mainland. All because of some egotistical, prideful trip he felt from a bitter loss in a poker game that he was determined to win.

She had wanted to say something then, wanted to tell him to be careful, to not be foolish, even wanting to turn around and regroup knowing the information they had – they were up against someone with the ability to fly planes and use guns, and she knew that on her own she would be no match against a foe like that, not with two civilian lives to also protect – but she didn't. Instead, she heard him as he grimaced and told them to stay back, crooning about not wanting to deal with a second loss in a row. The words she wanted to say stuck to her throat as she agreed, for the sake of the mission as it were, to stay back with Chrome, watching his back until he disappeared from their sight, leaving only the trail of flowers he promised to spread as the only means to follow him.

She felt such regret in not speaking up then, and the hand at her neck twitched.

Still, during that time, she trusted him in what he was doing, even if she was upset in his reasons and ways for why he was doing it. As Chrome pondered about his status, she could only laugh, calling him the world's most trustworthy liar, something the science user questioned because of how absurd the combination sounded. Kohaku smiled through those words, knowing how correct Chrome was about their contradictions but she had no other proper words to say. What she said was the truth, even if it didn't make sense. Then again, she bemused, her feelings for him didn't make sense. Someone like Gen shouldn't be the type of person she is attracted to, let alone someone she loves, but yet he is.

He shifted, turning towards her direction but not awakening from his sleep, and Kohaku flinched, hand falling from her neck as she turned her head away. She was grateful that everyone was asleep or not paying attention to her, as it would've been dicey if someone had caught her staring at him in the way that she was. Still, she couldn't help herself as she turned her attention back to him again, the fallen hand delicately sliding through her blonde bangs and pulling them back from around her face.

She wanted to approach him, lay down beside him, be close to him again. She may have anger within her towards him, but it didn't eclipse how much she missed being close to him. Memories flashed through her mind of how hot his form was against her own, the way he trapped and held her, the taste of his searing lips against her own... she could feel her body growing warm as a faint pink blush marked her face. If she did lay beside him, would he wake up and freak out? Would he scold her? Would he hold her? She could just say she was tired of being kicked inside the tent – which was partly true, as Suika was being very squirmy for some reason tonight – and things were too cold to sleep without a blanket. And she trusted him, of course, enough to sleep up against him.

Yet, when the dawn comes, what would she do then? She couldn't let herself be caught sleeping next to him like that, knowing what comments could come. Sure, she could easily use her excuse – and Gen would back her up, she knew that, maybe even could come up with a better lie on his own – but that would only go so far to keep the rumors at bay. At this critical juncture, she couldn't disrupt the whole team with something so trivial compared to what they were doing and were up against, and certainly the knowledge that they were in love – or at least that she was with him – would do just that.

She swore the spot where he left his mark burned, but she was certain it was just in her mind. As what all of those sinful, delightful burns were. She sucked in a breath, releasing it as she shook her head. No... she couldn't do it. Not yet. Not now. But now she was feeling more frustrated than ever. There was no point in trying to sleep yet. What she really needed to do was get away from camp for a little bit. Scanning around the camp, there was a large boulder offset by some slightly smaller ones not too far out from the base, maybe no more than sixty feet. She would be within easy access to the camp and still hide out behind it for some privacy. Just enough to allow her head to clear, to lessen the temptation to ruin everything that was almost too fragile as it was.

The huntress made her walk towards the boulder, being quiet with her footsteps as to not disturb the slumbering group, hesitating for no more than three seconds as she came close to Gen, second guessing her plan before continuing on with another shake of her head. For a brief moment, Hyoga made her pause, asking her where she was going. “Privacy” was her only word, and he nodded, accepting it at face value.

He likely thought she meant it to mean she wanted privacy to relieve herself, as gross as that sounded as she said it in her mind, but that was perfectly fine. He could think whatever he wanted, as long as what she got was privacy. Once outside of the fire's light, she took greater strides to reach her place of refuge, finally letting out one more sigh as her body fell back against the rock, being careful as to not damage her back as she slid down to the ground, legs folding up against her frame and arms wrapped around her knees, laying her chin against her crossed arms.

“Damn it... I'm really hating this,” she muttered aloud, closing her eyes as she slumped within herself.

Head shifted to rest her cheek more upon her arms, subconsciously tightening her form. She wish they had more time, just enough to allow for some free moments where they could spirit themselves away to somewhere private, where they could talk without prying eyes and ears. Where she could finally tell him those torturous feelings she's been holding back. She kept thinking over and over about the words she wanted to say, wanting to make sure he understood she was angry only because she was worried, only because she loves him, becoming like a record in her head almost as torturous as the dreams she had prior to her confession and some in the thereafter. Yet there had yet to be a time, and it's why now, finally in the moments of peace they had despite having dangerous enemies on their tails, it was bothering her way more than it should.

Face grimaced as she shifted again to burying it in her arms, a sting of exhausted tears burning her lids. She almost hated herself for this storm she was undergoing. Sure, she had fun with teasing Chrome and Ruri about their feelings for one another, but overall romance wasn't something she gave a lot of thought about before. She wasn't like a lot of the ladies back at home, whom just wanted boyfriends and a good romance. Now, however, she's realized how much like them she was and she wasn't so sure if she liked that fact or not. She groaned against her skin, fingers digging into her upper arms as she faintly nipped at her bottom lip.

The huntress became so enthralled into her internal conflict that she didn't hear the sound of dirty footsteps approach, coming around the boulder to see her sitting there, flinching harshly when a blanket fell upon her shoulders, head shooting up quickly and brain trying to figure out if this was a friend or foe, realizing quickly that the figure was not only a friend, but the subject of her storm.

“G-gen!” she nearly screamed, face becoming flushed with her shock and surprise, a weird shake going up her spine, “... I thought you were asleep.”

The mentalist grinned, shrugging his shoulders as he took a seat next to her, arms buried in his sleeves. Lapis eyes watched him intensely as he moved, turning away after a few moments to stare down at her feet. She could feel his warmth around her, from the blanket and by his presence, and while it brought a light to her heart, she felt also more unsettled than she already was.

“I was. Although it is hard to gain sound sleep upon cold dirt. Makes me almost miss the days of sleeping in Chrome-chan's storage shed,” he remarked with a hint of a laugh in his voice, with Kohaku echoing it with a small chuckle of her own.

“Ah... Honestly, not much better in the tent. I didn't take Chelsea for a snorer, and Suika had kicked me a few times this evening in her sleep,” she added with understanding.

“Suika-chan is probably more antsy than normal, given all that had transpired.”

“Yeah, I'm sure of that. It hasn't been easy for her. For any of us.”

They fell into silence after that for a minute, although that minute felt almost like hours to the befuddled blonde. She should be delighted right now! She's finally getting her wish, some alone time with Gen, but yet she felt something more akin to despair from it. She remembered those feelings from the night of the confession, that turmoil she felt after she awoke from her slumber. This overwhelming, stomach-churning feeling...

“Have you being feeling alright?” his question broke through her reverie again.

“Huh? What do you mean?” she inquired with one of her own, turning to face him and catching a glimpse of his dark orbs side-eyeing her.

“With all that we're going through, it's not a surprise if you're feeling extra stressed. And I know how good you are at sheltering burdens on your own. But I want you to know that you can still talk to me whenever you wish, no matter how chaotic things will become,” he explained, placing a friendly hand upon her blanket-covered shoulder, flashing her that sincere grin he rarely showed that proved his earnest intentions, “And no matter how it may look to an outside force.”

Another shake went through Kohaku's form, knowing what that last line was meant to imply, and he chuckled again, removing his hand from her shoulder and returning to his usual stance of hiding his arms within his sleeves. The silence came over again, the weight of it feeling even worse than it was just a few moments ago. She was having a hard time keeping the quivering from overtaking her entire being. This was the time. Time for her to share the feelings she had. But she also didn't. Would he get mad? Chide her? Walk away? She didn't want any of that to happen. But she didn't want to keep it inside anymore. It was eating away at her, destroying her, she knew that she was breaking and it was only a matter of time before it would spill out and so she had to--

“Kohaku-chan, look at me.”

That call of her name forced her to turn around, breath catching in her throat as he leaned in, leaving a chaste kiss upon her lips, not giving her a second to react before it ended. He pulled away, satisfied with how bright pink her face was, even under the dimming moonlight, laughing with his classic grin that put the huntress' heart into overdrive.

“Beautiful,” he complimented with a sultry tone, and her breath hitched again.

He stood up, brushing the dust off of his yukata, while she remained, watching him as he leaned over to pull the blanket over her shoulders a little more, telling her to come back soon and get some more sleep with a promise to tell her “good morning” first thing, before straightening up and taking a few steps away from her, with intention to go back to the camp.

Once again, Kohaku found herself staring at his back, watching him walk away, but this time, she didn't hesitate for so long to stop him. Standing up with ferocity, the blanket falling to her feet, fists balled against her sides as every part of her shook with the determination, fear, and anger that had finally boiled over and burned at her throat.

“You're an idiot, Gen!”

He stopped in his tracks, turning around to see the fury of tears and fangs upon her face. “Do you know how much you scared me that day? When you told Chrome and I to stay back and you went into Xeno's stronghold on your own? Talking about needing to do some growing of your own, about not wanting to lose twice in a row... you put yourself into such danger, and for what? To protect your wounded ego? You know we could've found another way to infiltrate and get to him that didn't involve you going off on your own and potentially getting yourself hurt. Or worse!” she tried to keep the volume of her voice in check, but she knew that was a battle within itself, the cracks more apparent the harder she tried.

“Kohaku-chan, I--” he wanted to interject, but she wouldn't allow him even a moment longer to try.

“When we broke in, when I saw you... it took all of my strength to not run up to you, to hold you, to scream at you... because you scared me. You scared me, Gen. I have the utmost faith in you, and I made that extra clear whenever anyone else would worry about you, but we've known and seen what these guys are capable of. I was scared that we'd get to you, and you'd be injured or gone, and I... I...” she continued to scream, until the end where her voice finally broke, her hands coming up to her face and hiding her teary face from view.

“I was afraid I'd never be able to tell you “I love you” ever again. That I'd never hear you say that you love me, like what you promised. That we'd never be together again. I don't want to ever lose you, Gen. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Each cry of her affection became more whispered than the last, a sign of her fading strength. The entire time, the mentalist kept his gaze upon her, not moving from his place upon the ground, the vibration of her form almost echoing through him as well. In all honesty, he didn't give thought to the growing affection between them that day. His motivations were fueled both by his aforementioned ego and knowing what his task was within the Kingdom of Science. If there was anyone in the trio that would make for the perfect hostage for Xeno's camp, it would be him. He had the tricks and know-how to keep himself alive while providing more than enough time for the others to construct the right plans they needed to achieve their goals. Chrome and Kohaku both had their own indispensable talents, but neither could do the same things he could do. And so, he made his choice.

To now know how much that had weighed on her, knowing how she saw it and how his actions twisted in her mind, he felt an enormous sense of guilt overflow in his chest. Lips fell into a deep frown, teeth clenched, and finally legs moved, bringing him back to her side, hands gripping at her wrists and pulling them away from her face. Her head jolted upwards in reaction to the movement, eyes shutting fast as he moved from her wrists to her face, holding her within their powerful grip as his lips met hers once again, putting all of his guilt and his begging for forgiveness into a passionate kiss, her arms wrapping around his torso and fingers digging into his overcoat. The taste of her tears tainted her lips, but neither paid it much mind, the broken hum of her voice echoing in her throat as her back laid against the stone. The heat of her anger began to simmer, replaced with the heat of his warmth against her form, and oh how she missed this warmth, the return of it bringing those feelings of addiction she could never forget.

“I'm so sorry, Kohaku-chan,” he whispered against her lips after a long time of connection, “I didn't mean to worry or scare you. I'm so sorry for that. I'm sorry for the burden I left on your shoulders. So, so, sorry...”

Cracked aftermath of her sobs bubbled in her throat and she clung to him more, burying her head within the crook of his neck, and he shifted his hold on her in response, holding her tight against him as she let out the rest of her pain and irritation, staining his yukata with her tears. The mentalist gave it no mind, apologizing over and over as he brushed over her back, trying to reassure and comfort her.

After a few minutes of her broken cries, finally Kohaku pulled her head back enough to allow her a better breath of air, but still kept her expression hidden by his form, fingers clawing at the purple cloth as she seethed, letting go of a thought that had haunted her since that fateful night on the Perseus.

“I want you to make me yours, Gen.”

He twitched, eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat before speeding up, unintentionally matching her own. “Kohaku-chan, you... do you know what those words can mean?” he asked breathlessly, “Are you desiring only for me to make a declaration? Or are you wanting us to...?”

He didn't say the words, but she knew exactly what he was questioning. Fingers relaxed, letting go of their tight grip upon his clothes. She smiled as she felt the courage come from within the depths of her being. She nodded her head, blonde locks tickling at his check, and he jolted from the motion.

“Yes. I want to be the one you claim and burn. That mark you left on me faded a long time ago, but I still feel it... I want to feel it all over again. I want to be the one, the only one, that you love, because you're the one, the only one, that I love,” she said in a hushed tone, a mixture of her sincerity, desperation, and desire, “You said there's one more wall I have to crack, and we'd have to wait until after we revived everyone before you would say those words to me, but after this, I... I don't want to wait anymore. I don't want to go further without knowing for sure what you feel.”

She pulled away, the remaining tears still streaming down her face as she flashed him the fractured, desperate smile she had hiding, fingers delicately touching the spot on her throat where his lips once stained. “So please... if I'm the one that you want, if that's what this mark meant, then tell me. Tell me that I'm yours, Gen. Make me yours.”

The oceans of their eyes met and flowed, the stormy seas that plagued hers now becoming his own, uncertain at how he wants to handle this demand of hers. This wasn't the right time, he admonished, knowing full well that they had people on their trail with murderous intent on their minds. Neither of them could afford to put their feelings ahead of the overall crew, knowing that those feelings could ultimately be an anchor to drown them in the danger they have to face. And yet, this was also the perfect time. If worst came to worst, she didn't want to have any lingering regrets.

Nor did he.

Teeth clenched again, the curl of his lips baring his canines to her as he laughed low, the vibration of the sound causing Kohaku to subtly shiver in response. Right fingers harshly grasped her chin, breath fanning against her face as he leaned in closer, the tips of their noses tapping one another.

“Are you certain of this, Kohaku-chan? Because I swear to you, once we start, I won't let up until we finally reach the end. So if you have any hesitation, tell me now. Are you certain that I am the one you want?”

Pale pink lips went dry, and she brought out her tongue to wet them. With no regret in her orbs, she nodded, mocking his grin with one of her own. “Yes, I am certain. So don't hold back anymore.”

The last of her words barely left her lips before she was made silent again, cut off by a third kiss, this one rivaling those of their first, the pressure of the stone against her skin going ignored much like the cold of the metal, the fire quickly growing out of control as the kiss turned into a dance of tongues. Her hands at his chest, pulling at the collar of his overcoat as his were at her waist, holding her hips with a possessive grip, her body writhing against his and their muffled hums echoing one another as they fell into the pit of their desires.

Their dance broke when a need for an actual breath took control, looking at each other through blurry, half-lidded eyes. She darted out a tongue over her swollen lips, and he nearly growled at how enticing that really was. Everything about her was enticing.

He would eventually share it with her, he was certain, but he had his fair share of tormenting thoughts since that night, manifesting itself into dreams much like it did to her. He admitted that much of his actions that night sparked from both ego and lust with only hints of deeper feelings beneath that were provoked by her own passion, but since then, he had realized what genuine love he actually did feel towards the beauty.

The feelings of sadness when he couldn't get close to her, couldn't reach out for her as he desired. The feelings of happiness that fluttered through his body when their eyes would meet, how they would smile at one another privately. The way she would blush unceremoniously when he attempted to get closer to her despite the presence of others, how much it made him happy hearing her saying his name with that sing-song mocking voice of hers, knowing full well she was only saying it to catch a glimpse of his reaction. Reliving the moments they had experienced together, realizing how important those moments were and how he couldn't wait to make more of those special moments with her. All things that he now realized meant more than they ever had been.

In truth, that last wall of his broke as soon as he stepped away from her, leaving him entirely defenseless towards her. Thinking of that made him scoff, and Kohaku raised a brow in confusion to the sound. “Wh-what are you thinking about?” she asked through a soft pant, almost fearful of asking the question and what the answer could be.

He shook his head, gently kissing her once followed by another. “About how much you have changed me, Kohaku-chan,” he replied, one hand shifting down from her waist to her thigh, pressing his fingers into her skin, causing her to gasp as he shifted her leg aside just enough to press himself further into her.

“H-how I've changed you...?” she echoed those words, bottom lip quivering at the newer sensation of heat.

He chuckled darkly as he forced her head to tilt to one side, leaving searing trails of affection against her cheek, going down the column of her throat.

“Yes. To take a self-serving opportunist like myself...” - fingers made fast work of removing her collar necklace, taking advantage of the newly bared skin and nipping it, causing her to mewl in soft delight - “And to command me to devote myself so unselfishly to you and you alone...” - another sinful moan left her lips as he sucked on the same place as before, returning the violent mark to her skin - “And that I would give in willingly to your command is quite a skill, indeed.”

Kohaku's chest felt tight, not just from how her heart was racing or from the pressure of his body against hers, but from the sound of his words. “I... I'm not commanding you to...” she tried to get out her words, being interrupted by the stilted breaths, gasping loudly again when the fingers at her thigh squeezed, and she turned a brighter red as he pressed against her tighter, swearing she could feel something harder against her lower half that she couldn't recall feeling before.

“Oh, but you did, Kohaku-chan~” he sing-songed, and the huntress shivered at the tone, “You want me to make you mine. You want not just a declaration of my devotion, but want me to lay with you as well. You want my full commitment, my possession, as I told you I would give to the one who managed to break through all of my walls. How is that not a command?”

Her body shifted upward as a heavy hand pulled at one of the straps of her dress, pulling it down to expose more of her to the chilly air, that cold being replaced too quickly by the wet heat of his lips as he peppered kisses and nips to her collarbone and shoulder. He groaned from the sensation of her shifting, feeling her arch up against his pelvis, and for a moment disliking how much the stone world clothes felt against him.

“B-but... i-if it's not... if I'm not what you want-- ah!”

Teeth dug into her skin, followed by the sound of light sucking upon her shoulder, the mentalist leaving another purposeful mark that would be easily covered by her clothes. She seethed, the pain and pleasure of it sending shock waves through her core. She looked down to meet his gaze as he pulled back, dark orbs playing off the devilish grin.

“Did you not hear what I said?”

He returned to assault her lips, and another litany of low moans rumbled in her throat as her hold on his clothes strengthened, writhing against him as his fingers continued their travels over her form, the leg he upheld now off the ground with knee bent against his side, and she knew now that she could feel the faint push of his erection against the tucked cloth of her dress.

With a loud pop and a harsh breath after another long minute of addictive affection, they leaned back to allow themselves another look at one another, the moonlight playing with the shades of pink and red donning both of their faces. The heated mood turned more somber as the hand at her waist moved to her face, gently cupping her cheek as their foreheads rested coolly against one another.

“I am not just making you mine. I am becoming yours. Willingly, wholeheartedly, with every fiber of my being. Not because it's your command, but because it's what I desire as well.”

Tears stung at her eyes as she listened to his words, and a thumb brushed at one wayward drop. He gave a softer kiss, followed by a sincere smile.

“I love you, Kohaku-chan.”

The dam broke as a happy gasp escaped, fresh tears falling down her cheeks as she nuzzled into Gen's hand, the beat in her heart now not from the mixture of lust and panic but of relief and undeniable happiness. Those words... they had finally been said. The words she had wanted to hear for over a year or more, the words he had teased her with weeks ago, the words she had heard over and over again in her dreams and wanted oh-so-much to hear in reality... he had finally said them.

“Gen,” she whispered his name, a small “hic” in her throat following it, “This isn't a dream, is it? Say it again. Please... I need to hear you say it again.”

He chuckled, kissing her once. “I love you.”

A second. “I love you.”

A third. “I love you.”

A fourth and final. “I love you, Kohaku-chan.”

Each kiss and whisper put another fluttery beat in her chest, and a wider smile upon her lips, returning every bit of affection with an increased feeling of her own. “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you, Gen.”

After the fourth, Gen finally released her entirely, Kohaku's shaking feet touching ground firmly again, her knees wanting to give way as a confused pout graced her lips. He chuckled, giving a small tap to her nose that caused her to flinch. “Be patient with me, only for a moment,” he crooned, “I want to create a better setting.”

“Setting?” she asked in a hush tone, watching as he reached for the blanket that fell around her ankles.

Blanket in hand, he set it out over the ground, smoothing it out haphazardly if only to make sure no jagged rocks were beneath it to cause discomfort. He removed his overcoat, folding it into a square and laying it at the head of the blanket. Finally, he sat down upon it, demon grin in place as he took one of Kohaku's hands, pulling her down with him, the huntress making a shrill “eep!” as she was pulled, falling against his frame, blushing as she realized how now he had her straddling him, easily able to feel that hard lump now more against her lower core. She almost felt too sheepish now, unable to look Gen in the eye as he snaked his arms around her upper torso, her hands at his shoulders to brace herself, and he laughed again as more gears in her head began to spin.

“Have you ever been told about such things, Kohaku-chan?”

“Such things...?”

A small shift caused a new sensation through her being, and she seethed while he hummed a bemused note.

“About that.”

“O-oh... yes... one of the Hundred Tales called The Birds and The Bees told us all about it.”

Her gaze turned towards him, nipping at her bottom lip. “I know what's about to happen, but I... I never... and I'm sure that you...” she stuttered, hating how slow the words were leaving her lips but finding no control over her voice, her body pulling away as she looked down between their forms, quivering as fingers pressed deeper into the top of his yukata.

“Kohaku-chan.”

Attention returned as the most delicate of touches brushed against her cheek, followed by the softest of kisses to her lips, pulling back only enough for her to see a gentle wave in his cerulean irises.

“I'm scared as well. Yes, I've had a few... experiences... but this... this is the first time I will be with someone I love.”

Another laugh, this time with a heavier weight than those that came before. Swollen pink lips fell agape as she pondered that weight.

“I'm scared that I will hurt you. Or that I won't satisfy you. That something will change in your heart, and you will find reason to reject me. Whether now or later, that something could make you change your mind about your feelings towards me...”

An excruciating pain filled her chest, dread washing over her, trying to drown her. Fingers dug harder into the cloth and she gritted her teeth.

“I won't!”

This time, it was his turn to flinch, for his mouth to fall agape and for his eyes to widen.

“I won't... I won't ever change my feelings towards you, Gen.”

Right hand fell to his chest, resting above where his heart was beating. It was fast, but still kind. She smiled, loving the feel of it against her palm.

“We made a promise to each other, right? With our words. You're mine, and I'm yours.”

For the first time, she was the one to take control of their affection, cupping his cheeks within her palms and pressing her lips against his with the sweetest of intentions, and he was now the one with the moan low in his throat as he tried to fight back against her own passion.

“That will never change. As long as I live. It'll never change. That's my promise.”

“Ah... then that's my promise as well, Kohaku-chan. For as long as I live.”

Their smiles sealed their promise before melting into another bout of passion, the huntress allowing herself to be pushed down upon the ground, the mentalist finding himself a comfortable spot between her legs. Tricky fingers made deft work at the rope belt at her waist, untying it and pulling it out of their way. Her fingers couldn't reach the same level of talent with trying to undo the rope of his sash, too distracted now by his heated touch reaching up under her dress, twitching at the touches on her stomach. Never had she felt anyone else's hands touch her bare skin there, and it was very distracting. Delicious and distracting.

A shocked moan left her lips when those fingers pushed under the thin bra that covered her breasts, cupping the underside of the left, her back arching and causing another sound to escape when she felt his hardness firmly against her core. He almost took too much delight in watching her struggle, stopping his ministrations and sitting up enough to help her with the rest of the task, allowing her to remove the cloth away on her own, the outer robe now falling around him like a loose drape.

“... You wear too much,” she said in a quiet pout, shaking digits pushing away the fabric, sliding it down his arms, allowing him to toss it aside after it fell to his wrists.

He let out a sarcastic laugh, sending a small shiver up her spine, gasping as the chillier air hit skin that her dress had covered, making a variety of squeaky noises as he pulled it over and off of her frame with little fight, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments.

“To that extent, you wear too little.”

He eyed her so greedily that she nearly wanted to cover herself up from his roving gaze, but in the seconds that she tried, she was immediately stopped by a firm grasp of her wrists.

“No... don't do that.”

With somber glances to one another, he grinned through the hefty air. “Back in my time, I had once heard of a line that was meant to describe one of immeasurable beauty and allure. A body built for sin. And oh, you have that for certain, Kohaku-chan. One that can easily take down any man,” he reminisced of his old world, baring canines as he slowly fell forward, teasing her with a kiss before shifting his touches down the column of her throat again.

“But... what I see is a blank canvas.” Lips stopped at the opposite side of her collarbone, teeth biting and leaving an identical mark to the twin on her shoulder.

“One that I get to mark with my own design.” Another bite to her upper right breast above the fabric of her bra, deliberately leaving it where her dress would cover it normally.

“Yes... I'm a grateful man, knowing that I am the only one allowed to touch such a canvas.” Kohaku could feel coils of heat in her stomach starting to tighten as she was bitten again, but upon the left bosom; she didn't know she was such a person that would enjoy this sort of pain, but she was glad that she was.

He leaned back to admire his work, the flush of her pale skin tainted in pink in addition to the reddish-violet bruises he had left in what would be hidden places. She panted under his gaze, watching as he tantalizingly licked his lips with his crooked tongue. “How beautiful,” he complimented.

Gods, she was loving how much he was complimenting her, but at the same time, there was a feeling of weakness shadowing it. She was being so submissive to him, receiving all of the attention, and yet he remained hovered over her, still largely covered and unmarked. She clicked her tongue, hands making rapid work at the snaps of his top, pulling it open without a care to whether or not she may have broken one of them, using the cloth as leverage to pull herself forward, pushing it away to allow herself access to his throat. Hunter's fangs bore into his skin, causing him to yelp from the impact, head falling back as she laid her own claiming mark, almost worried that in her desperation that she would draw blood. She did not, instead only leaving just as violent of a dark bruise on his throat as what he had done to her.

Mocking him with a lick of her lips as she pulled back, enjoying how flushed he was, now that the tables had been momentarily turned. “How beautiful,” she uttered with a sincere but lustful tone, making slow work at undoing the rest of the snaps on his top, pulling the fabric back down his arms.

He followed suit to remove it from his body, tossing it aside with the rest of the discarded clothes, snickering as he enjoyed this twist. He allowed himself to fall back this time, allowing her hands and lips to explore the newly exposed areas, hissing with pleasure when she would leave smaller bites upon his snow-white skin, twitching as her fingers brushed against his torso in the ways that his did to hers.

She stopped short of touching that lump in his pants, not quite sure what to really do about that particular appendage yet. Much to his approval; he wasn't sure how he may react if those sinful fingers touched him at this state of their game. Gods know that he didn't want this to end yet. Not until he had the chance to burying himself within her, to feel and hear and be awash in the powerful passion of her body, her sounds, her cries, her claws.

While she was busy with painting his chest, sneaky arms reached around behind her to undo the tie that kept her bra around her, the cloth falling between them and being quickly tossed aside afterwards. She squeaked, knowing that her chest was now officially exposed to him, and within that moment of surprise, he took back control of their dance, pushing her back down onto their makeshift bed, her head hitting the soft cloth of his folded overcoat.

“A-ah! G-gen!” her cries came out in a blubbering mess as she squirmed at how she roughly cupped her left breast, fingers playing softly to the appendage while his tongue made teasing laps around the erect nipple, echoing her cries as he paid the same attention to its twin.

“Mmm... that's a wonderful sound you're making, Kohaku-chan~” he crooned, releasing it with an audible pop, gazing up at her between the valley of her chest, meeting her shaky gaze as she trembled with unbearable heat.

The coils in her stomach tightened against as he kissed his way down from the valley to her navel, nipping at her skin and leaving faint marks, until he reached her hips. One finger curled around the straps on her right hip, pulling it down with a painfully slow motion, sitting upright again only to allow himself the ability to remove the last piece of clothing from her body, leaving her entirely naked and unshielded from his view and touch.

“G-gen...” she whimpered, fighting back the urge to cover herself again, knowing it would be a futile effort.

He hummed again in unadulterated bliss at the sound of his name being spoken so breathlessly from her lips. He was becoming too addicted to these calls of her already, and they have barely started... oh, how much harder it will become to keep his hands off of her after this was done. The drought that was incoming after this was going to be as much of a nightmare as having the sniper Stanley on their tails...

Aligning himself with her laid out form, lips returned to hers, open-mouth kisses distracting her from the feel of a demon hand reaching between her legs, one finger teasing at her outer folds. She gasped and shuddered at the foreign touch, arching unconsciously to it. She desired to close her legs instinctively, but she fought back that urge, only shifting them slightly to subdue those frazzled nerves.

“If this is uncomfortable for you, tell me immediately and I will stop. But I want to touch you like this first before we continue on further, okay?” he asked her sweetly, concerned for what she may think or feel over such odd intrusion to her most intimate area.

It took her a moment to process the words, her mind already in a dastardly fog, but she managed to nod her head in acknowledgment to his care. He responded with a distracting kiss as his fingers teased her outer folds again before sliding one finger slowly inside. The digit caused the huntress to squirm in reaction, the mewl coming out in a mixture of discomfort and happy shock, the discomfort fading away as he started to move, going at a slow and steady pump, in and out. She was already wet, but now that she was being touched, things were becoming slicker, hotter, and Gen growled in devilish pleasure at how she felt against his fingertip.

A second joined in once he was sure she was handling it fine, and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from screaming out in the bliss from his touch. Her arms rapidly went around his neck, pulling him closer to her and leaving both her cries and her hot kisses upon his lips, and he took such delight in how she quivered, how she would keep saying his name, how she had the desire to beg him to keep it up, to not stop, just at the tip of her tongue but was unable to say the words entirely.

“Ah... Ah... G-gen...!!”

“Yes. Keep saying my name like that, Kohaku-chan. Keep crying out like that.”

“Gen, ah...! Gen...!! I--”

The coils in her stomach that kept tightening finally unraveled, pouring out all of its heat and fire in her belly, and Kohaku couldn't form any more words. Only guttural noises were made as her inner walls twitched and juices flowed, her nails digging into his skin and leaving crescent marks upon his shoulder blades, coating those pumping fingers with her sticky sweetness, his ministrations coming to a slow end as she worked on coming down from her orgasmic high.

Her arched form collapsed back to the ground, hands on either side of her head as she tried to ease the tightness in her chest. She couldn't believe how incredibly amazing she felt in this moment, and was even a bit sad when she felt his fingers pull out, a strange sense of emptiness replacing the touch. Lapis eyes were teary and tired, but watched as Gen brought those filthy fingers to his lips, tongue darting out and licking them clean of their coating, and if she wasn't already flushed from sweat and heat, she'd be almost embarrassed to watch him commit such a move.

Especially when he bared all canines behind a mischievous smirk, looking all-too-pleased at the sinful taste upon his tongue and the way he took delight in seeing her in her wanton state.

Leaning down to kiss her yet again, she could taste just a little bit of her juices on his lips, and was almost surprised to find herself liking it, only because she was able to taste him as well. “You're too much, Kohaku-chan,” he whispered as he pulled back, “You're going to be the death of me one day.”

“I... would never... let that happen... you...”

“It's an expression, my love. I know.”

He kept her gaze upon him as he shifted in order to remove the last articles of his clothing, leaving him just as naked as she was. There was a relief with the removal, now that his erection was free of all of the uncomfortable bindings it was stuck in, although that thought was fleeting as he positioned himself better between her legs, leaving a few inches between their lower halves for the moment.

Gaze shifted to the extended appendage. This wasn't the first time that Kohaku had seen a penis, of course – curse Old Man Kaseki and his penchant for stripping – but this was the first time she had seen one in such a state. A state that she had enticed from him...

“You can touch me, Kohaku-chan,” he softly broke her from her reverie, knowing that she was staring at him, trying not to laugh at almost how innocent she was being in her stare.

She sucked in a short breath, eyes meeting his for a moment and feeling a sense of relief from seeing his smile, looking down as her fingers slowly reached between their forms, a shock of electricity going through her tips when they felt the flesh, before being more emboldened and curling her fingers delicately around the appendage.

He seethed, the soft feeling of her calloused fingers around his most sensitive place making him twitch in the most satisfying way, bottom lip quivering as she ran her hand up and down the length of the shaft. Her intent was only to get a feel for him and to settle her curiosity, he knew, but he could feel his resolve already starting to crack. By her mere touch, no less! Although, given that he has gone through an over 3700 year dry spell, he supposed that it wouldn't be a surprise that he'd be so ready to break at the delicate attention.

“K-kohaku-chan, if... if you want me to get through this last bit, you'll need to stop, please,” he stammered through his demand, not trying to scold her for what she had done, because oh, how she hasn't done a single thing wrong!

“Sorry,” she whispered as she released him, much to his momentary relief, pulling her hand back almost in a snap.

“Don't be. But I would greatly prefer not coming in your hand,” he forgave her, using his wit to offset the guilt she might had felt, “Now... this might be uncomfortable for you too. If it hurts, tell me, and I will stop. Alright?”

As she did before, she nodded in acknowledgment, sucking in a large breath when he moved and pressed his erection against her core. He didn't push into her, not yet, but she could still feel the tip at her entrance. He reached for her hands, holding them to either side of her head, instructing her to wrap her legs gently around his waist, the huntress doing so without hesitation.

At the pace of a turtle, he began to push his way inside, groaning along with her as he slowly, carefully slid all the way inside, filling her as deeply as he could. Kohaku flinched at how her body was being stretched for the first time, giving her a rush of pain and pleasure as his fingers did, but this time she asked for him to remain still, just for a few moments as she got used to the new sensations.

Once she gave him the signal, he began to move, taking considerable time in his ministrations. Not only for her own comfort, but for himself as well. He didn't want to rush this. Not with how amazing it felt to be within her, to feel how tightly she grasped at his hands, how her head was falling back as a litany of moans and his name crashed out of her mouth like a waterfall. Yes, she was going to be the death of him, for sure. This was only their first time, and yet he was already wanting a second. And a third, and a fourth...

Their lips met with a slew of sloppy, open-mouth kisses, broken by their sounds. Her eyes were shut tight, focused too much on the delightful friction. She's had dreams like this, but nothing about those dreams were anything like the real thing. The coils turned, strengthening as they did before, the heat pooling harsher in her stomach this time around, taking as much happiness in hearing her name come from Gen's lips in the throws as what he was with hearing his come from hers.

“Please... don't stop... not yet... Gen...!”

“Who am I... to deny such a request then, my Kohaku-chan?”

He picked up the pace a fraction, but to the young woman it felt like a race being made within her loins, taking even more pleasure in it. He did as well, finding it harder to keep himself in control in order to not have this end too early. But she was too sinful, too hot, too much. He knew it wasn't going to be much longer before he would reach his release. But he wouldn't do it. Not until she crashed first.

That crash came moments later, as she stammered and quaked, hands letting go of his to wrap around his shoulders, digging her claws again into his back. The coils released all of its pressure, and Gen fell forward, burying his face into her throat to muffle his own cries, his own body starting to spasm from the feel of his release. The clenching of her walls, the slick juices coating his every inch, the way his name would not stop leaving her lips... it all caused him to lose control as well, his warm seed spilling within and mixing with hers. His movements came to a regretful pause, but he didn't remove himself from her right away, pulling back as he tried to catch his breath.

Gaze met once more, both reflecting how tired and ragged they were, bodies soaked with sticky sweat, but they were both completely and totally content, their highs filling them with the most amazing endorphines. Lips met lazily, sweetly, lovingly, keeping a fulfilling connection as her legs shakily fell from their wrap and he pulled away, making this bout of emptiness easier to deal with.

Now spent in more ways than one, he rolled off to her right, keeping turned on his side as she turned on hers as well, heavy pants still escaping between extra kisses, arms wrapping around one another in a caring embrace. He brought a hand up to the tie in Kohaku's hair, the rope nearly undone already but now completely undone, her wildflower locks flowing downward. Fingers gingerly brushed back the sticky hairs from one another's face – his in blonde, hers in white – smiling beautifully as their lungs finally caught up and their racing hearts came to a more normal beat.

“I love you, Gen.”

“I love you too, Kohaku-chan.”

They blessed one another with a kiss before snuggling up close, closing their eyes for a few minutes. They knew that, now that their dance was done, that they would have to redress and go back to the camp, but they didn't want to part yet. Once they did, then they would have to go back to how they were: pretending nothing was different, that they were only friends and comrades, fighting to keep themselves alive against an incoming threat. There would be no chance for them to do this again, not until Stanley and his crew were soundly defeated, and who knows how much longer even then. So they had to make sure to cherish every second they had.

“... This is going to be hard.”

“Yes, it will be.”

Tears started to form upon Kohaku's lashes. She didn't want to cry, not now, not after what they just did.

“I wish things were different now.”

“I do, as well.”

He denied his own tears forming. Such as the mentalist that he was.

“... When this is over, you'll seek me out, right?”

“Of course~”

Eyes opened, smiling brightly through the exhaustion, ocean eyes swimming in the moonlight, it still lighting their loving act even as it started to wane.

“I am yours.”

“And you are mine.”

“That is our promise.” They whispered in unison, sealing it with one final, important, meaningful kiss.

After they parted, their arms let one another go, the pair making haste to get dressed, with each assisting one another with a task: him with her hair, her with his sash. Gen gathered the blanket from the ground after putting his overcoat back on, shaking out the dirt and trying to use a cloth that was buried in one of the pockets to try and pat-dry the telltale sign of their encounter, causing Kohaku to flutter about embarrassed by what she had caused. Thankfully it dried quickly, leaving the faintest of stains that were no different than some of the other stains already on it, much to the relief of both of them.

Gen walked out from behind the boulder first, with Kohaku following a few feet behind. Everyone was still sleeping soundly, she could see that far, so there wasn't too much of a need to act as though anything had happened. And even if someone was, they could easily say that they both couldn't sleep, stressed by the events, and spent time talking to one another in order to comfort and relax. No one could blame them for that, they reasoned, given the stakes that surrounded the group.

They entered back into the camp, walking past the two dozing guards. Tsukasa seemed to have fallen truly asleep, not at all stirring by their footsteps. It appeared Hyoga was as well, and the two glanced sideways at one another with a knowing smirk, feeling a bit smug that they seemed to have got away with their secret rendezvous--

“While your relationship is none of my business, and I congratulate you both, Gen-kun, Kohaku-kun... You may wish to be a bit more discreet in the future. There's a visible hickey on Kohaku-kun's right collarbone.”

They both flinched at Hyoga's harsh warning, the tone barely above a whisper so as no one else would hear it but them, and despite the dark, they turned as red as cherries, while Gen quickly buried a hand into a hidden pocket to pull out some of the make-up he had kept in his bag of tricks, trying to rush and cover the mark he had thought he had oh-so-cleverly placed.

“Thank you, Hyoga-chan.” They spoke in unison again, entirely deadpanned and drained from being caught as they were.

… They were also glad that he wore that black mask of his, as seeing his smug smirk would just add more insult to injury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got one more part incoming! With a LOT of angst... you've been warned! But for now, enjoy the smut! Because lordy, did I have fun writing it!

**Author's Note:**

> As I was writing this, I've come up with ideas for two more parts to add. I hope you look forward to those parts as they come out!


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